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Jon Lester needs to 'get back to some basics,' unlikely to be given breather because of Clay Buchholz

John Farrell, Clay Buchholz

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell, third from left, talks to Clay Buchholz, second from right, after Buchholz fielded a line drive single by Los Angeles Angels' Howie Kendrick in the sixth inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader in Boston, Saturday, June 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

BOSTON — If Clay Buchholz is able to start for the Red Sox on Sunday in Baltimore, the positives would be two-fold: one, making the start would mean Buchholz is in good health, or at least good enough health.

Two, it would give Jon Lester a couple days of extra rest. He's in line to start Sunday, but any Sox starter could probably use a bonus day at this point, and Lester stands out for his recent struggles.

After Buchholz threw from flat ground on Wednesday, the Buchholz-on-Sunday scenario is looking unlikely. He'd go Tuesday at home against Tampa Bay, after an off-day on Monday, instead.

"Threw the ball okay, I think he still felt a little stiffness," Sox manager John Farrell said of Buchholz's tosses. "But improved over the last time he had a ball in his hand, 48 hours of no throw. We've got to factor in what takes place today and tomorrow if we're preparing for the rotation through Baltimore. We have options: obviously, we can bring Jon back on Sunday and push Clay back to next Tuesday. If there's not marked improvement by tomorrow, we may be looking to do just that."

Lester let up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday, and he sat down with Farrell and pitching coach Juan Nieves Wednesday.

"We met today, the three of us, to get back to some basics and reestablishing what his strengths are, and that is his four-seam fastball to his gloveside," Lester said. "And that's not to say that every pitch is in that location, but that establishes release point in the even that he needs to go to that area to get back into a count or to start a hitter off with. But it has an effect on all the other pitches that he throws. And last night it was pretty clear he was searching to get some consistency and some semblance of a four-pitch mix."

Farrell said there was a specific plan against the Rays to be heavier with off-speed stuff early on, but that plan didn't help Lester establish his fastball.

The problems Lester has experienced since Mid-may are not new to Farrell.

“Every pitcher has maintenance to their delivery," Farrell said. "This is not any different than some things he’s run into before or what any other pitcher would go through (when I was pitching coach). But it’s work that needs to be addressed. More than anything, the bullpen that he threw prior to the game to take that into the game and execute as well as he did prior to the game."

“The flight of the baseball tells you pretty much most everything you’re looking for. When the fastball is up in the zone, it’s flat, the curveball gets out early, the hitter sees it early. there’s some things that you can quickly go and trouble shoot to get to the root of it. that’s today. ideally, you need that in-game where that self-correction takes place and that was elusive last night. “

Buchholz will throw in the early afternoon on Thursday, and afterward a decision on who will start Sunday will be made.

“I think we’re at that point where every pitcher could probably use an extra day and we’ve got three of the next Mondays off to try to give that," Farrell said. "The one thing we can’t do — we can’t go until the end of the day tomorrow wondering who is starting Sunday. We’ve got to plan by no later than 1 o’clock tomorrow afternoon so that everybody can their their work in. if there’s any question with clay, then jon will start on Sunday. That’s where we are right there.”